Lifting jack



Aug. 5, 1924. N. E. HARRIS ET AL.

LIFTING JACK Original Filed March 10 1921 3 Sheets-$heet 1 Jug. 2.

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- N. E. HARRIS ET AL LIFTING JACK Original Filed March 10 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Jig, 5.-

Patented Aug, 5, 1924.

UNETED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NORMAN n. HARRIS, or MURRAY, AND WILL I). swmean'r, orromon, KENTUCKY;

SAID SWIGGART ASSIGNOR TO SAID HARRIS.

LIFTING' JACK.

Original application filed March 10, l9 21, $e rial No. 451,137. 7 Divided and this application filed Augiist 4,

1922. Serial No. 579,630.

T 0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known that we, NORMAN E. HARRIS and ILL D. SWIGGART, citizens of the United States, residing at Murray and Fulton, in the counties of Galloway and Fulton and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lifting Jacks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvementsin that type of devices termed lifting jacks, especially adapted for use in connection with automobiles, while it is equally applicable for jacking up or lifting other wheeled vehicles in making repairs thereto, or for other purposes for which it may be found applicable. A Y

The invention has for its object to provide for applying or disposing the jack or device with greater convenience or facility to the vehicle or machine to be operated or'repaired than has heretofore been practicable.

A further object is to provide for expediting the lifting or adjusting operation of the jack or device.

A still further object is to predetermine the relative movement between the screwthreaded members of the lifting or adjusting means or mechanism to guard against the liability of the mutilation or impair ment of the threads of said threaded members.

A still further object is to provide for facilitating the actuation of the ratchet-and pawl instrumentalities in controlling the vertical movement of and positioning the swiveled jack-head in contact or engagement with the wheel axle or brake-drum shaft of a motor or automobile or other ob ject to be elevated and sustained. The subject matter-of this invention is disclosed in our co-pending application for lifting jack, filed March 10, 1921, Serial No. 451,137, but is not claimed therein, the present application beinga division of the said application Serial No. 451,137. 7

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the construction, arrangement and operation of the parts or features thereof. H

The invention therefore consists of certain instrumentalities and features of construction substantially as hereinafter more fully disclosed and defined by the appended claims. 7

The accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred, embodiments of our invention wherein it will be understood that various cliangesand modifications of the detailed constructionand arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit or scope thereof as covered by theclaims, and which drawings;

Figural is a sectional elevation of the embodiment of our invention embracing the ratchet and pawl form thereof.

; Figsi2, 3-and 4 are detailed views thereof. Fig. 5 isasectional elevation of an embodiment of m'y invention wherein a mitreand wormtype of gearing are I employed for actuating or adjusting the swivel 'equipped barrel screw-threaded instrumentality.

Fig. 6 is a transverse section of the same.

Fig, 7 is-a fragmental vertical's'ection of a modified formof the swiveled jack-head of the lifting instrumentality.

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of a wrench which may be used for actuating the .worm and mitre gear actuating means for the liftinginstrumentality. I

Fig.9 is a brac'e-and-bit like implement foractuating the lifting instrumentality.

v Fig. 10 is an end elevation of the wormand-mitre-gear spinning means for the liftingv instrumental'ityj.

As characteristic features of our invention, weprovide,'as the direct liftinginstrumentality, an interiorly threaded exterior tub ular'member or barrel 1 and an exteriorly threaded member or screw 2 arranged within and adapted to actuate said first-referred-to member, similar to corresponding members or instrumentalities in the allowed application of. Norman E. Harris, one of the applicants herein, filed September 10, 1919, Serial Number 322,803, in connection with which we employ certain other features which will now be described: The inner member or sorew2, together with the barrel or tubular member 1, is suitably secured upon a foot or base 3, the screw ormember 2 having preferably a tenon 4 let into a socket 4* in said base, with a threaded lower-end-extension upon which" a nut 4 is screwed up into and engagement against the bottom of a recess 5 in the underside of said base, a feather or key 1 being inserted into a slot 4 formed partly in the side of said tenon and partly in the wall of said recess. The lower end of the terminating tenon 4 of the screw 2 is sunken into the recess 5 in the base 3, out of contact with the surface upon which the base rests for firmly retaining the screw in position in the base. i V

The upper end of the threaded barrel or tubular member 1 is suitably equipped with a swiveled head 6 preferably scooped out or concavedin its upper surface as 'at 6 suitably to receive or form a supporting bearing for the axle of an automobile-axle, drum-shaft, or other object. swiveling the connection between the jack and the barrel or member 1 is effected preferably by means of a thrust-bearing member 7 partly let into the upper end of the tubular member or barrel and suitably supported-thereon, it being suitably secured in place by a pin 8 inserted through the thrust bearing member and the barrel or member '1, said bearing member having seated, in concavities 9 therein, spherical bearing members or balls 10 upon which is mounted said jack-head, the latter having pivotal connection with the thrust-head or member 7 by means of a pivot 11 shouldered upon said thrust bearing as at 7 and having an upper flanged end as at 7 the flange being received within and seated upon the shoulder 7 of a counterbore 7. By means of this form of jack-head 6 and arrangement of bearing spheres or balls 10 the load or weight is lifted in a vertical line and is adapted to be distributed more or less equally all around the thrust-bearing. The screw 2 has a flange 8 at its extreme upper end, just beyond the upper terminal of its threads, the barrel 1 having a number of spiral threads 1 extending from its lower end upwardly to, and terminating at l the .relation between the flange 8 and the upper terminal point 1 being such that the interof the full threads of the barrel- I'nember 1 and the full threads of the screw or member 2 will be such that the movement of the barrel-member will be limited upwardly so as not to project the barrelmember beyond the screw and to prevent the mutilation or injury of the teeth of said barrel and screw at their points of contact, as would be liable to otherwisetake place. i

i A ratchet 12 is suitably housed as at'12 upon the outer surface of the threadedbarrel-member 1, the ratchet being milled out of the housing 12 the housing being arranged so as to allow of the turning or vertical adjustment of the barrel-member 1 independently thereof, a bottom annular member 12', fitting freely around the barrelmember, being secured to the housing 12 connected to said ratchet-housing 12 for actuating the ratchet 12, the member 12 serving as a washer for retaining the ratchet operating means in effective i'elatio-n'with the ratchet. V

The pawl or plunger it for engagementwith the ratchet 12, has preferably a plurality of different or varying cross-sections or diameters, the purpose of which will be subsequently described.

The pawl or plunger 14- is housed or encased in a tubular extension of the 'atchethousing12 abutting the member 12", said pawl being arranged within said tubular extension inalinement with, and so as to have engagement with the ratchet 12, as seen in Fig. 1. The pawl or plunger 14, is equipped with a helical 'or'coiled spring 16encircling the same, so as to cause the pawl or plunger to automatically initially engage the ratchet teeth, the forward end of the pawl or plunger being formed with an irregular rear edged tooth 17, the right-lined face of the tooth, when presented toward the perpendicular face of the ratchet-teeth effecting the holding action, the rear irregular or sloping edge thereof allowing of the slipping or snapping of the pawl or plunger tooth by the ratchet-teeth when the movement of the toothed or grooved barrel-member 1 is reversed- The differently-diametered portions of the plunger or pawl provide, it will be observed, for suitable clearance of the spring and the delivery of the pressure thereof upon the plunger and shoulders for the retention of the same in proper tensioned position. Also, it will be noted that the plunger or pawl 14: has opposite right-lined or rectilinear faced portions 18 thereon and that the casing or tubular extension 15 has correspondingly contoured opposite portions19 thereon to provide for cooperation with portions 18 to allow of changing the position of the plunger as desired in providing for changing the feed of the ratchet for either opening or closing the jack. The plunger or pawl 14 has fitted upon its outer end a tubular nut orcap 20 preferably by screwthreading the same upon the said plunger or pawl 14: preferably by means of a pin or key 21 inserted transversely through orifices or passages 22 produced through said tubular extension or housing 15 and said plunger. The cap-nut isstepped at one end, said stepped portion being adapted to he received within, and manipulated by a suitable wrench for turning the cap-nut into fixed position upon the-plunger or pawl thecap-nut, however, being adapted to turn upon the housing or tubular casing 15, as

seen in Fig. 1. It will be noted that, from the foregolng arrangement, a pinless feather or key ratchet and plunger is obtainable thereby, a suitable washer 23 of leather or of some suitable composition, the washer 23 being inserted in the bottom of the cap-nut for suitably cushioning the plunger, thus rendering the plunger and ratchet practically noiseless.

In the second embodiment of our invention, we employ, in connection with a like in teriorly screw-threaded tubular or barrelmember 24- and a screw 25 within said barrel-member, a mitre gear 26 for driving the barrel member instead of by the pawl and ratchet, suitably housed in a flanged sleeve like member 27 having suitably screwed to its bottonredge a flanged tubular member 27 as at 27 slipped around or upon the barrel-member The screw is secured to a. base 28, the barrel-member 24 being applied to the screw, the screw being secured in position as shown in the above described embodiment of my invention, namely, by a nutted lower end tenon 29 of the screw and 2 inserted between the tenon and base, the nut applied to the tenon, being designated as 29 and received wtthin a recess 29 in the bottom of the base, with the lower end of the tenon removed within the base from contact with the surface upon 1 which the base may rest for the purpose disclosed in said above described embodiment of the invention.

The mi tre-gear housing 27 is formed with an upwardly projecting tubular extension 30 within which is enclosed the barrel 24, said tubular extension having arranged upon its upper end a seat 31 for the swiveled jackhead 32, which j ack-head has an upper bifurcated approximately ovoid surface, to provide against the inadvertent slipping of the supported object or weight and to prop erly seat the same. The j ack-head seating member 81 rests upon a preferably polished steel washer 33 supported upon a thrust bearing member 34, the upper end of the tubular extension 80 encompassing the latter. A screw 35, with its head positioned in a counterbore or depression 36 in the jackhead 32 is mounted in a tubular extension 37 of the jack-head, thus providing for the effective retention of the latter in position.

The depression 36 is of a greater dept-l1 than to just receive the head of the screw, but is adapted to provide for the clearance of the screw head as indicated at 38, in allowing for th vertical adjustment of the jack-head according to the angularity of positioning the same, as may be required for applying the jack to the axle or shaft of an automobile or other motored vehicle in passing the means or wrench for actuating the jack laterally of or between the spokes of the wheel, as later indicated. An oil-duct 39 is provided at the upper end of the outer tubular extension 30 for passing oil or lubricant therethrough for lubricating purposes; also at 40 is a duct through the tubular extension for a like purpose and at a point intermediate said memher and the barrel-member 24 is a groove tl for the same purpose.

The screw 25 also provided at its extreme upperend with a flange 42 and the barrel member' 2 is provided in like manner as the corresponding element 1 of the aforesaid embodiment of the invention, with a spiral thread as, said flange and said spiral thread being co-operative for the same purpose as indicated in said embodiment.

A worm is: meshes with the miter gear 26, its journal ia being supported within sectional or halved-together bearings 45, supported from the casting of the miter gear and suitably held together preferably by headed screw-threaded bolts 4-6. The journal i l of the worm 25 is equipped at one end, as disclosed by Figs. 5 and 6, with a spherically-shaped head d7, which is so contoured, however, as to provide square or quadrangular formations thereon. for the application thereto ofthe correspondingly shaped socket of a wrench, as is obvious and which will be apparent from the subsequent description. Extending longitudinally through the wormjournal and the nut-shaped formation is a passage 48, as indicated in dotted lines in said figures, adapted to receive a. sliding or retractile vise-like operating lever or instrumentality d9, as indicated partially in dotted lines and partially in full-lines. Said instrumentality or lever, it will be seen, is adapted to be slid or retracted within the passage 48 of the worm-journal L4, having suitable end retaining cap-members, as seen, when not in effective use. Said lever or instrumentality has spherical terminals 49 one of which is adapted to be housed and slid within the passage 4-8 and allow of the movement of the lever at right angles: to the axis of the worm and be' retained against in advertent displacement, as also indicated in dotted lines in Figs. 5 and 6, the other spherical terminal of the lever is adapted to be seated as at 4:9" in the spherical terminal 47 of the worm-journal id when the lever is in its retracted position, also seen in said figures. By means of this anangem'ent, it will be observed that, by suitably extending the lever 49, as indicated in dotted lines, the worm may be rotated by means of said lever. Any slight slaekness can be readily remedied by suitably tapping the jack-head. In event of breaking the lever 49, a nail, as 50, or other instrumentality convenient for the purpose, may be used.

As indicated in Fig. 8, a wrench-member or spindle 51 may be applied to the squared nut-like formation of the worm journal at? and a suitable handie adjusted to the end thereof of angular-outline, as at 51, for operating the jack. In applying the jack for use laterally of the automobile or other wheeled motor or machine, which would obviate operating the jac thereunder, a braceand-bit like instrumentality, as at 52, as shown in Fig. 9, may be employed, the socket end 53 thereof being applied to the quadrangular formation of the worm journal ar said instrumentality being previously passed between the wheel-spokes and thejack-head suitably adjusted to the axle or shaft.

In the modification as disclosed by Fig. 7, is shown a swiveled jack head 53, which has a plurality of equidistantly arranged teeth 54, around its base or bottom edge adapted to be received within a plurality of sockets 55 in the barrel-member; the teeth when withdrawn from these sockets, as is the case when the jack-head 53 is elevated out of its seat, allows the latter to be disposed at the desired angle and locked at such angle by again efiecting engagement between these teeth and their sockets; this arrangement thus p'c-vides for disposing the jack-head parallel to the automobile axle, also to provide clearance for the jack-head in case of the presence of an otherwise obstructing brake-shaft drum.

In a counterbore 56 in the swiveled ackhead 53 is a headed screw 57 threaded into a depending portion 58 of the barrel-member 59 for providing for the vertical adjustment of the jack-head.

We claim:

1. A jack of the type described, including a threaded barrel-member, a screw-engaging the threads of said barrel-member, a miter and worm-gear mechanism, the worm having a journal provided with a bore, said bore having arseat therein and a slidable handle received wlthin sald ournal-bore,

said handle having spherical terminals, one 7 spherical terminal adapted to be received by and pivoted in said seat. V V

2. A jack of the character described comprising an interiorly threaded barrel member, a screw engaging the thread ofjsaid barrel member, a mitre gear, a housing for said mitre gear having a sleeve surround-' barrel member, means to turnthe barrel member, a housing therefor, a sleeve carried by said housing andsurrounding said barrel member, a swivelled jack head, a thrust nearing carried by the barrel member and surrounded by the sleeve, and a seat for said jack head carried by said sleeve.

4:. A jack of the character described comprising an interiorly screw threaded barrel member, a screw engaging'the thread of said barrel member, a mitre gear, a housing for said mitre gear, a sleeve carried by said housing and. encompassing the barrel member, a thrust bearing carried by said barrel member, bearings carried thereby, a swivelled jack head, and a seat for said jack head carried by said sleeve, said sleeve being adapted to encompass the thrust bearing.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signa= tures. V

NORMAN E. HARRIS. WILL D. SWIGGART. 

